Frequently Asked Questions

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App Profile Information

Do I have to enter all of the information requested in the Profile section?

No, the only information that is required to create your personal profile is your First name, Last name, Email, phone number and personal passcode. We do encourage everyone to fill out as much information as possible to provide the campus police or security operators with important details needed to properly assist you during an emergency. All voluntary information such as height, weight, hair color, picture and medical details are stored locally on your device and only visible to campus police or security operators after you have activated an alert.

Where is my profile information stored?

All voluntary profile information is stored locally on your device. Your entire profile information will provided to campus police or security operators once you have activated an alert in order to effectively help you. All voluntary information is immediately removed once the alert has been marked as complete.

Why am I prompted for ‘app permissions’ when I first open the TapShield app?

The app permissions listed provide TapShield with access to native device features we need to provide you with the best user experience. By accepting the requested app permissions, TapShield can provide secure phone call and messaging with authorities, provide your phone's GPS location to first responders, or enable you to take a picture on the phone's camera to submit a crime tip. We take privacy seriously at TapShield and never store any personal information. All profile information is stored securely on your device and only provided to the authorities when you tap the 'Alert' button.

Why does TapShield need access to my microphone?

The microphone is used when an alert has been activated to provide a secure VoIP phone call with your dispatch or security operations center.

Organizational Boundaries

Where can I find my organization’s boundaries?

The app will automatically show boundaries as an overlay to our map-based interface! In addition to this, TapShield can detect whether or not you are inside or outside your organization's boundaries and connect you with the appropriate authorities if you hit the 'Alert' button.

What happens if I activate an Alert outside of my organizations boundaries?

If you activate an alert outside of your organization's boundaries, a 9-1-1 phone call will be automatically dialed.

What is a geofence and how are they configured?

A geofence is a virtual perimeter of a real-world geographical area. The geofence can be configured to include a predefined set of boundaries, such as campus boundaries or coverage area belonging to a security operations team. Using location services technology, our mobile safety apps can determine the real-time location of the user and whether or not they are inside or outside of the geofenced boundaries.A TapShield customer success specialist will work with your organization to carefully define the boundaries of your coverage area. Typically, our customers will have all alerts activated within their geofenced boundaries routed directly to their dispatch or security operations center. All alerts activated outside the geofenced boundaries will be routed to a "secondary number" chosen by the customer, or 9-1-1.

Response Dashboard (Shield Command)

How many dispatch personnel can monitor Shield Command (dashboard) simultaneously?

TapShield can be deployed across large and small geographical areas using our geofencing technology. These boundaries (or geofences) can be configured to work with multiple dispatch centers or multiple personnel assigned to monitor different parts of a university campus, or municipality. There is no limit to the number of users who can monitor Shield Command at the same time.

What happens if dispatchers are suddenly ‘overloaded’ with incoming Alerts?

Shield Command has a built-in auto-responder for this exact purpose. Once activated, any pending, new or incoming Alerts will receive an automatic response that can be customized on the fly. From here, the caller can be connected to dispatchers, or 911 through phone call.

How fast will an alert appear in Shield Command?

An alert will appear within five seconds of the user activating an alert.

Safety Apps

Why would anyone in an emergency use this app?

As long as a caller has the ability to make a voice call, we encourage anyone in an emergency to always call 9-1-1. In fact, our app dials 9-1-1, or the appropriate authorities in the caller's location, automatically when an Alert is sent. If, however, a user is unable to make a direct call due to situational or technical issues, or if they must be discrete, then TapShield becomes advantageous. They can notify others of an emergency, and supply authorities with vital, real-time information right from the scene of the crime. One tap of the 'Alert' button performs 3 actions simultaneously: If the caller is located within a TapShield-subscribing organization: 1. Sends real-time GPS location to police (via Shield Command cloud-based dashboard) 2. Sends the caller's profile information to police (via Shield Command) 3. Automatically launches a phone call into the appropriate authorities (depending on your college, this may be 9-1-1 or a 10-digit phone number) If the caller is not located inside of a TapShield boundary: Tapping the 'Alert' button outside a TapShield boundary automatically dials 9-1-1

Anonymous Tip Reporting: I’m concerned this may lead to false notifications anonymously. Do you have any data that would indicate the likelihood of this happening or not?

We recognize that any technology has the potential to be abused by its users. The ultimate goal of TapShield is to make students safer on college campuses. Many traditional methods of emergency or crime reporting on college campuses are underused by today's young population. Serious threats like sexual assault, suspicious persons, excessive drug or alcohol consumption and other situations can overwhelmingly burden students with information. Students may be hesitant to seek help in such emergencies or when they have information about a crime because of fear of potential conduct and disciplinary consequences for themselves, the victim, or the organization hosting the event where the situation occurred. TapShield's anonymous tip reporting feature seeks to diminish fear of disciplinary sanctions or retribution in such situations and to encourage individuals and organizations to seek needed law enforcement or medical help for students in distress. It is also important to note that data shows that up to 20% of all 9-1-1 calls are fraudulent. Since TapShield alerts are tied to a user’s verified cell phone and are location-tagged, this significantly reduces the chances of illegitimate reporting. If fraud becomes a major issue in your situation, we can remove the “anonymous” feature option so all alerts are identifiable.

Where can I find my organization’s boundaries?

The app will automatically show boundaries as an overlay to our map-based interface! In addition to this, TapShield can detect whether or not you are inside or outside your organization's boundaries and connect you with the appropriate authorities if you hit the 'Alert' button.

How do I use the TapShield Mobile Safety App?

After downloading TapShield from the Google Play or App Store, you will be provided with a short tutorial demonstrating how to use the mobile safety app and details regarding the different features.

What happens if I activate an Alert outside of my organizations boundaries?

If you activate an alert outside of your organization's boundaries, a 9-1-1 phone call will be automatically dialed.

Is my location being tracked at all times?

No. Your location is only tracked, and therefore visible to authorities, when you tap the 'Alert' button inside the app.

Do I need to have cellular data to use TapShield Mobile Safety App?

In order to activate an alert via the TapShield mobile safety app, you must have cellular data connection (via mobile carrier or WiFi). Cellular data connection is used to provide real-time location updates, profile information, real-time messaging and secure phone call to your organization's dispatch or security operations center.

What happens if I accidentally activate an alert?

TapShield has been designed to minimize false alarms. When tapping 'Alert', a 10 second countdown will begin as the device begins vibrating. During this time, a caller can enter their 4-digit disarm code to cancel the Alert. If the Alert has sent, stay on the line and communicate with the authorities and inform them that you are okay. After speaking with authorities, you will be instructed to enter your personal passcode to complete the call.

Is TapShield available for iPhone and Android?

Yes, TapShield Mobile Safety Apps are available for both iOS 6.0+ and Android 4.0+. You can download the TapShield Mobile Safety Apps by searching TapShield in Google Play or the App Store. Click the following links to download now: Google Play or App Store.

How do I download the TapShield Mobile Safety App?

You can download the TapShield Mobile Safety Apps by searching "TapShield" in the Google Play or App Store, or by clicking the following links: Google Play or App Store.

Next Steps

Call Us.

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727-442-7094

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